Voting is closed and yesterdays Animal Planet poll numbers indicate that Mona Rutger has won their "Hero of the Year" ward - by a landslide. Even better, she easily defeated the AR aligned (and maligned) anti-tether/anti-penn/pro-trespassing alleged dog thief!!!
"The winner will receive a $10,000 donation made to the animal welfare organization of the winner's choice and a 7-day/6-night trip for 2 to Hawaii!". Enjoy it Mona. You deserve it!
It seems the anti-tether minions are not taking the loss well. I hope they didn't have any plans to use that money for liberating more dogs from their legal owners. Too bad. So sad. I Guess Dog Owners Deserve Better, after all...
http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/hero_of_the_year/nominees/mona.html
Meet Mona Rutger
Nominated by Dorothy Flounders.
Mona Rutger, together with her husband Bill, has owned and operated a volunteer wildlife rehabilitation and nature education center, Back to the Wild, for 15 years in Castalia, Ohio. The center rescues over 2,000 injured or abandoned wild animals each year, and is able to return over 60 percent of them back into the wild. A nonprofit with no funding, the center relies on contributions by individuals and organizations to cover the cost of caring for the constant influx of "wildings." Mona consistently puts in long hours, especially while tending to the many baby birds and animals that require constant care. She says, "It's very demanding, but it's my passion." Her other passion is teaching future generations the great need to preserve and protect our natural world. She presents educational programs to over 50,000 students and members of youth groups and adult organizations each year, traveling all around the state as well as conducting programs and tours at the center several times a week. Fifteen Eagle Scout projects have been completed at the center by local youth. Three of Mona's young assistants have been inspired to attend veterinary school because of their work at Back to the Wild. Two are practicing veterinarians and the third will graduate soon. At least one other young volunteer has stated that she also plans to become a veterinarian. Mona takes part in volunteer studies with veterinarians on such diseases as West Nile virus and avian flu, and they are using the data gathered in national and international research.
